Work was completed last week on the replacement of the sails at Chesterton windmill in Warwickshire. The tower, which can be seen from the M40 motorway near Warwick Services, has stood on a hilltop overlooking the village of Chesterton, just off the Fosse Way, for almost 400 years.
The windmill was built in about 1633, probably by Sir Edward Peyton, who was Lord of the Chesterton Manor House.
The estate accounts at the Warwickshire County Record Office show that the structure has always been a windmill, making it the earliest tower mill in England to retain any of its working parts.
It was built from local limestone, with sandstone detailing on semi-circular arches at its base and a metal-lined dome roof.
According to a heritage statement, it ceased work as a mill in the 1910s and has been subject to numerous refurbishments over the years.
The report states that “Chesterton Windmill is of extremely high historical, architectural and cultural significance, which is reflected in its designation as both a Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
“It is one of only four windmills in England to be classified as such.
“The windmill is of national importance.”
In 2006, a visitor to the site was air lifted to hospital when a timber sail collapsed and the old sails were removed completely in 2021 when cracks were found and there were concerns about the risk their condition posed to the public.
The new sail parts have been built at Owlsworth Conservation at Caversham near Reading. They were taken to Warwickshire on Wednesday morning along the M40.
